Her Birthday In Belgium
by Charlie Hues
Summary: Maria Clara dela Cruz, once Las Islas Filipinas, flies to Norway for an invitational party from her consul. Only to be met up by Norway... Who is secretly following Belgium's orders.


**Warnings: **TTwTT Sorry. I was just so, so, SOOOOO desperate for a NetherlandsXPhilippines, so...

Meh Meh Meh, Troll Troll Troll~~~~~

* * *

><p>"Ah, man, that was tiring..." Failing to contain a sigh, she wiped her forehead with the back of her palm. "Though, it was nice of Noy to throw me a little party, even if he was busy and all," she twisted the steering wheel and rounded at a corner, "especially with the talks of another wave of price hikes..."<p>

The night sky had set and the city was filled with bright lights.

Miraculously avoiding traffic, she drove past streets and a couple of highways and parked her car by the street, just in front of her house. She walked past the gate and into her home. She didn't live there. _Before_, at least. Some politician _donated_ her the estate, saying it was purely out of concern and that it would be more convenient for the national symbol to live in Manila rather than some far-off province in Visayas. But she knew better. She was perfectly aware that it was just some plot to secure positions after the elections. Unfortunately, bribing her wouldn't do him any good. She was practically immune; having lived through three centuries of that trained her.

But she still accepted the estate, of course. It would've been a waste if she didn't. Besides, at least she could let other nations stay in case they decided to visit.

Dragging her feet heavily on the floor, she shuffled to her room and dropped headfirst onto her bed beside her travelling bag. Her slim body lay sprawled across her sheets, long, wavy dark brown hair in a mess around her. Dark brown eyes stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before a tan hand hovered above them. She rolled to her side and sat up. She clicked open the bag and ran through her things one final time.

"Three days' worth of clothes, just in case I throw up on myself," she shrugged, "jacket, scarf, toothbrush, documents, underwear," she pulled a face and hid her delicates under everything else, "camera, laptop, notebook, pens, passport, just enough cash..." She reached for a large tote bag and glanced at the inside. "Right. Three bottles of our finest _lambanog_... I think we could get that through security," she smirked. "Okay. I think that's everything. Then I'll just get some shut-eye on the ride there." She zipped her bags closed and rushed to the bathroom for a quick bath before catching a taxi to the airport.

_Ho~hum_

"Yeah, Erik. I'm going to my plane now," a pause, "no, you don't have to do that. My consul's secretary can just have," another pause, "well, that's true, but..." A pause. "Are you sure?"

_"Of course it is. It _is_ your birthday, after all." _

"Well, okay, then. Thanks a million. See you when I get there."

_"No problem, Maria. Bye."_

"Bye." She hung up and trotted to her plane.

_Ho~hum_

Pale skin, flaxen hair and indigo eyes met her on her way out. She smiled at him and apologized for the inconvenience. He held up a hand and insisted she was a guest. He helped her load her luggage at the back of his car. She sat beside him in front with her bag of wine on her lap.

"I'm really sorry again, Erik," she repeated for the sixth time.

"I keep telling you, it's fine," he responded. He didn't look straight at her since she arrived. The first and last time he looked at her directly was when he met with her at the airport.

"But aren't you busy? I'm sure you are."

"It doesn't matter," he said. He wasn't really busy that day. In fact, he had finished everything he had to do that morning. The Norse snatched a glance of the bag on her lap. "What's in there?" He asked in an attempt to divert the conversation.

"Oh, this? They're bottles of our finest _lambanog_. It's a local wine. Amazing I got it past security check, huh?" She grinned. "I brought it for the party at that street here in Oslo."

He nodded at comprehension. He closed down a street in his capital so her locals could celebrate their Independence Day. "So, what made you decide to go to my place for your birthday?"

"Well," she began, her eyes lingering on the streets, "hmm, it's really clean here, no?"

Norway nodded. "Yeah. Everyone helps keep everything clean."

"Hmm, that's nice..." She watched a child throw a bottle into a recycle bin. "My consuls invited me here so I could see how my people celebrate Independence Day. Plus, they say you and your people are kind. I think so, too."

His cheeks burned pink at the comment. He felt relieved he had his eyes on the road. At least she didn't have to see him.

"I remember the first time I went to a world conference with Papa." She smiled reminiscently as she recollected as much as she could. "I honestly thought you Nordic people scary. Really scary. Especially Denmark."

"The first time you attended a conference he had his ridiculous axe with him," he chuckled. "I already told him not to bring it because there was going to be a new country going. But as always, he ignored me."

"He kept swinging it randomly, I thought he was going to kill someone with the thing," she motioned her arms, mimicking the way she had seen the Dane.

"And you hid behind Spain." He grinned.

"Yeah... And Papa kept yelling at him."

The Norwegian pulled over. "Here we are."

"Oh! There they are!" She said excitedly when she spotted her consuls from a distance.

"By the way, Maria, which hotel are you staying in?" The blonde asked.

"Oh, I'm not staying at a hotel." She took out her camera.

"Really? Well, would you like to stay at my place? I mean, of course, since you're staying, I thought you'd..." he trailed.

"Huh?" She looked at him and met his eyes. He immediately looked away. She swore she saw him blush. She smiled with innocent amusement. "The first executive secretary invited me to stay over at their house. She and her family are very kind."

"Oh..."

A man in a pineapple fiber _barong_ opened the door for her. "Maria Clara dela Cruz, _kaibigan_!"

She stepped out, hugged him and gave him a _beso._

"My wife's entertaining the guests, and she told me to greet you when you arrive," he laughed with his deep voice. "Everyone's been waiting for you!"

"Really? Well, tell them the party's just arrived. Just give me a sec."

The man in the formalwear smiled and left. Maria then turned to the blonde who remained seated in the car. "He's the consul's husband," she began. "Anyway, we can talk about accommodations later. Now, aren't you coming?"

He shook his head. "I'll just wait in the car."

The brunette tilted her head to the side. "What?" She frowned. "Well, that's not going to be any fun... Come on. Join us. You won't have anything better to do here all alone, anyway. And after all, it _is_ my birthday," she giggled.

He appeared hesitant. But with a few more encouragements from the other nation, he was pulled out the car. The next thing he knew, he was dragged into a spacious, august hall, decorated with little flaglets lining the walls and the lighting reminded him of the dinner he had with the diplomats from Sweden. In the middle were tables filled with lots of different food from her home. He looked around and saw that aside from Filipinos, there were also Norwegians who came to celebrate Independence Day with everyone else. A warm grin found its way to his face.

"Okay. Wait here. I'll get us some drinks."

The Scandinavian sighed. He felt his phone vibrating continuously in his pocket. He glanced at the caller id and answered. "She's here, Belgium."

"_It's Hungary, dude. _Elizaveta_. But I'm already over at Bel's. She told me to ask if things are going as planned. So, are they?_"

"Yes. She took me to her Independence Day party here in Oslo.-"

"_Oooh! The street you closed off for her? I got to hand it to you, it's sweet of you to do that for her, Norway! I never thought you were thoughtful enough,_" he heard her giggle.

"I closed it for the _people_-"

"_Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Anyway, everyone's starting to arrive. When the Italians get here, they'll get the pasta and the pizza ready. Ludwig and his bonehead of a brother are bringing beer. Everyone's basically has something to do, so-"_

"Elizaveta? You there?"

"_Bel here._" He heard Elizaveta yelling about snatching away the phone._ "I'm going to the airport now. Just do your job and keep her busy. I'll be over in a jiff, okay?_"

"Umm... Okay."

_"Alright, then. Bye!_"

"Bye."

"Here we go!" Maria held out a glass of ember liquid, which he took. "Cheers!"

"Cheers," he answered. He chugged half of the contents, "this is pretty good."

"'Course it is," she answered, smirking childishly. "Now, come have some food!" She led him to one of the tables and told him to try them all.

He looked at either ends of the long table and thought, _it's impossible. _While he was mentally talking to himself, the Eastern nation had already begun piling things on her plate. She looked over her shoulder and saw him unmoved. She held a plate and a glass of wine. "Come on, let's just share mine."

They sat at either sides of a small, round table just a stride away from everyone else. She took a piece of a sticky thing that had stripes of three colors: yellow, white and violet. She urged him to take something from the plate. He thought that not all of them looked friendly enough, so he simply reached for the round, white rice cake with what appeared to be cheese on top-_puto_. He bit into the soft item.

"You know," Maria started as she watched the Filipinos having fun and conversing in their native language. "I'm glad my people at your place celebrate like this." She looked at him; he was puzzled and his cheeks were full of rice cake, as if how a squirrel would look with its cheeks filled with acorns. She smiled and continued, "my people back home don't really care. I mean, sure, they do all that ceremony and stuff, but it's only because it's SOP. Nobody _really_ cares," she snorted. She cleared her throat by downing half the contents of her glass. "Seriously, people back home are happy only because it's a holiday, and that's it. Nothing deeper." A pause. "But then again, there _are_ still some who genuinely give a damn. Even if it's only a teency tiny part of the population." She sighed and took another sticky-looking delicacy. "Though, it _would_ be nice if Independence Day were celebrated like America's..."

She shrugged and took a bite. The blonde frowned.

"Sorry. Nevermind what I said, I'll just shut up, so just enjoy the party, okay?" She grinned.

_Ho~hum_

"Are you happy?"

The Philippines looked at him, bewildered. "Huh?"

He felt heat across his face and reached out for another _puto_. He doesn't know how many he had eaten already, or how many glasses of _lambanog_ he had. He also lost count of how many times Maria went back and forth for more food and drinks.

"I asked if you were happy," he said, still not facing her directly.

She took a sip from her glass and answered, "yeah. Seeing them happy and celebrating makes me happy." She reached for a banana deep fried with sugar. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," he bit into the rice cake. "I'm glad I could at least do something," he mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

o_o "...nothing."

At the entrance, a green-eyed blonde had been spying on them. She took out her phone and gave the Scandinavian a call.

"One second," Norway told the archipelago as he picked up the call. She nodded and gestured to go on. "Hello?"

"_Erik! It's me. I'm by the entrance and I've been watching you._"

"Since when-"

"_Shut up and listen to me. Lead her outside and-"_

"How?"

"_I don't know! Tell her you feel sick or something! Anyway, lead her outside and I'll look like I'm walking around, looking for you. I'll hand you some documents, but of course there's really nothing in the envelope, and I'll invite the both of you back to my place, where everyone's waiting. I've got our plane tickets ready._"

"And what if she refuses?" He asked. It was a good thing Maria was busy speaking to someone.

No answer.

"Hello? Bel, you still there?"

"_THERE IS NO WAY SHE SHOULD REFUSE, HER REFUSING IS _NOT_ PART OF THE PLAN!_" She practically screamed on the other line. People passing by looked at her with caution. She sighed and lowered her voice. "_Anyway, just get it done. I'll make _sure_ she doesn't refuse._"

"Okay. We'll be out in a minute."

"_'Kay. Bye._"

He shoved his phone back his pocket and finished the last bite of his rice cake before turning to Maria. The brunette smiled at him. "Want some more?"

The Nordic shook his head wearily. "I'm just going to get some air..."

_Come with me, Philippines. Come on, come on!_

"Huh? Are you okay? Do you want some water or something?"

"No," he successfully pulled a pained face. "I'll... I'll be fine." He stood up and smoothed out his shirt. For some reason, he suddenly felt fatter in the ass.

Anxiety got to her. "I'm going with you, then."

"No, it's fine. You should stay here."

"No, no. I insist. You _are_ my guest, after all." She stood up as well.

He faced her, trying to suppress the urge to look away. She was all too eager. "Alright, then." He walked out the hall beside her. He strained to look for Belgium.

"Are you sure you don't want to lay down or something?" The Asian nation asked.

He shook his head. "I'll be fine." The Philippines pouted. He spotted the blonde he was expecting and pretended he didn't see her. They walked past the gathering crowd by the entrance before Maria spotted her.

"Oh, wait, isn't that Belgium?" She said.

"Really? Where?" Erik asked, looking around.

"Okay, good. She saw me," Blegium told herself, a few meters away from the two.

"There, o!" She pointed. "Bel! Over here! Belgium!" She called, waving her hand and jumping a couple of times. "Beeeeeel!"

The Belgian jogged over and greeted her. "Happy Birthday, Clara!"

"Oh, thanks, Bel," the archipelago answered, kissing the blonde's cheeks. "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, I came by to hand over some documents to him," she glanced at the Norwegian and gave him a look. The taller blonde nodded.

"Oh. Sorry if I've kept him," she apologized. "It must be something important, too..."

"It's fine, I mean, come on." The blonde waved a hand in dismissal. "Say, want to come over to my house? My brother's over and he wants to greet you a happy birthday, too."

"Huh? Netherlands?" Her happy face went sanguine and she looked away. Norway noticed. "Holland," she quietly muttered to herself.

"What's the matter?" Belgium asked.

"N-Nothing," the Philippines answered curtly.

The green-eyed blonde shrugged. "So, you'll come over, right?"

"Oh, Bel, I really, really, _really_ want to, but..."

"What, what?"

"Ah, there you are, Clara!" A deep voice boomed. "I've been looking for you! I forgot to ask for your luggage. Our car's at the back."

"Clara, don't tell me you're going out with him?" Belgium whispered with a disgruntled face. The brunette punched her lightly on the arm. "Ouch, that hurt."

"Don't be silly, that's my consul's husband. I was supposed to stay over at their family's place tonight."

"Oh, the consul's husband, huh?" Belgium stood next to him and asked, "hi, there, mister Philippines' consul to Norway's husband!"

"Why, hello there, miss Belgium! Nice to see you here! Would you like to eat with us?"

"I'd really love to, but you see," she bent over and whispered something in his ear. He laughed heartily. "So could you please let her stay over at my place? Please?"

"Why, of course, of course! I'm sure my wife wouldn't mind!"

"Yay! Thanks!" Bella squeaked.

"I'm really sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you next time," Maria told the man.

"Oh, sure, sure. Of course," he gave her a wide grin and a pat on the shoulder. "Anytime!"

"Thanks again!" The blonde woman waved him good bye and turned back to the other two with a triumphant grin on her face. "Wha'd I tell 'ya?"

The Scandinavian and the Asian exchanged looks.

_Ho~hum_

"Where are you going, Bel? Aren't we supposed to buy tickets first?"

"Ah, don't worry, Clara. I already have 'em, sweetie," she said, pulling her by the arm to the boarding area. "Everything's ready."

"Well, that was quick. _Really_ quick."

"Of course it is. Say, it's really nice of your consul. She let us have all the left over bottles of that wine-what's it called again?"

"_Tuba_. It's coconut wine, dear."

"Ooooh. More alcohol," she smiled to herself. "I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"

"And I'm getting excited thinking about your chocolate," she answered. "So, where's Norway?"

"He's probably taking a leak, don't worry," she said happily. "He'll catch up."

"-yes. I'm going now, Karl." A pause. "Yes, I'm with them." Another pause. "Of course," he glanced at the two ladies making their way through the crowd, "we'll have to board now. See you later, Iceland. Bye."

_Ho~hum_

"Clara, wake up," the green-eyed blonde cooed, lightly shaking her awake.

"Nnnngggghh... It's better if I lick it off you..."

Norway, who sat next to Belgium, wore a face. "What did she say?"

"You want to lick it off me?" She giggled naughtily.

The Nordic's face flushed a bit.

"Shut up, Clara! Just wake up already! No one wants to lick anyone off, okay?" She scolded, almost pushing off the Philippines off her seat.

"Huh? What happened?" The brunette panicked. "Where's my-" She saw the look on her companions' faces. "Oh. I had a dream again, hadn't I?"

"Yes, you did." Belgium gave her a deadpan look before saying, "buckle up. We're landing."

_Ho~hum_

"Alright, we're here!" Belgium handed cash to the cab driver and helped unload the Philippines' luggage. When the Asian country wasn't looking, she told the Scandinavian, "it'll be quiet once she enters. Everyone's out back."

"Okay."

"Hey, Bel, where do I put my stuff?"

"Anywhere, Clara. You could put them in the driveway, if you want."

"Okay!" She rushed inside and dragged her things to the room upstairs where she usually stayed at when she paid visits to Belgium. Then, with her camera around her neck, she rushed back down, only to find the Netherlands standing by the hall, blocking the way to the kitchen. Their eyes met and a pink shade colored her cheeks. Embarrassed, she tore away from his gaze. "Umm, hello, Holland," she tried to look up and gave him a nervous smile. She felt her nose and cheeks burn. "Well, I better find Bel and Erik, so..." She shuffled to his side, trying to make her way to the kitchen when she felt a light tug at the hem of her blouse. She faced him.

"I..." He adjusted his scarf so the words would not sound muffled. "Happy birthday," he said. He pulled her close and the next thing the Asian archipelago knew, her face was buried in his chest. She smiled at the warmth, relieved that he couldn't see her face. She was sure the redness had overcome her tan skin. "_Las Islas Filipinas_," he added.

"Please, don't call me that," she uttered, trying her best to sound as clear as possible. That was the name her Papa had first given her. "Please."

"I was so desperate to take Manila, but..." he continued. Memories came crashing down. He remembered himself arguing angrily with a general.

She felt the embrace tighten; she pulled away. "I... I should go now, Hans." She placed a hand over her mouth. "I'll... I'll see you later."

And she made her escape into the kitchen and out the back door, where the familiar faces of her fellow nations surprised her with smiles and greetings of happy birthday. But when they saw how she looked, the smiles diminished and everything went considerably quiet.

Her face was red and she appeared as if she were on the verge of tears, not to mention her shoulders slightly trembled.

"Maria, you okay, aru?" She recognized her eldest brother's voice.

"Hey, Phil, something the matter?" An albino stepped up, rounding his arm on her shoulder, the way he usually does to his brother. "Dude, say something. Your birthday party won't be as awesome as it should be if you're like that."

Belgium, who stood a few paces away, frowned. _Hans must've done something_.

"Dude, Gil, don't _do_ that," Alfred complained. He was about to walk up to Prussia but Australia caught hold of his arm.

"Not here, mate," he said, shaking his head.

Miguel frowned. "Maria?"

"Clara," Vietnam called, restraining Taiwan from ramming into the Philippines.

"_Hija_, what's the matter?" Antonio asked worriedly. "It's your birthday, why do you look like that? Did something happen?"

The archipelago propped a smile on her lips and shook her head. "Nothing's wrong." She giggled. "It just feels weird for me 'cause I left home almost nine in the evening, and it's evening again here. A little jetlagged, I guess."

"Would you want to take a rest?" Her Papa asked.

"And miss out on my awesome party and be a total kill joy? Uhh, no thanks," she waved a hand. "So, let's start the party, shall we?" Everyone's faces lit up.

Yong Soo hooked up the stereo and cranked up the music.

_Ho~hum_

The evening went on. She was happy. Everyone was there-from the Americas, to Europe to her home continent, Asia. She gave _besos_ to everyone, and poured everyone wine from her home. She also greeted Russia since it was his national flag day, too. Mexico kept close to her. America prowled, Australia kept close to him and Spain was on guard.

She didn't have any commitment to anyone, though.

"Miguel, why don't you mingle with the others? I'm just going over there," she pointed to where her sisters Vietnam and Taiwan were sitting with Hungary and Belgium. "I'll get back to you later, okay?" The Philippines told Mexico.

"Sure. Have fun, and happy birthday," he replied, kissing her cheek.

She smiled and trotted off to where Belgium was and sat beside her.

"Hey, there, birthday girl!" Elizaveta hailed. "You know, I should've brought extra hot strippers along," she joked.

"Oooh, that'd be really steamy," Vietnam commented, grinning mischievously.

"Eew, strippers," Taiwan stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Gross."

"Yeah. Though, I think the boys'll get jealous." They all laughed in approval. "Anyway, thanks, guys. I really never expected this. I just thought we headed here to satisfy my chocolate cravings, but, here you all are!" The archipelago said.

"So, what are you planning, Erik?" A platinum blonde asked his brother, a little distance off from the girls.

"What do you mean?" The Norwegian replied as he drank his beer.

"Her," Iceland pointed to where the archipelago was, "what do you plan on doing?"

"Nothing," he simply said.

"How come?"

"Just because." He watched Denmark fooling around with America and the others.

Karl frowned. "But don't you like her?"

"Yes," he answered curtly.

"Then why?" Iceland persisted. He received no answer, which caused him to frown and sigh. "You know, I just don't know what you're thinking sometimes."

The flaxen blonde patted his brother's head and gave him a small grin.

"So, are you happy, jie-jie?" Taiwan asked her sister eagerly.

"Oh, of course, _ading_. It's probably one of the best birthdays I've had." She hugged her younger sister, who clung onto her waist. "So, who planned all this?"

Belgium raised her hand proudly. "I did!"

"What do you mean _you_ did? I was there, too!" Hungary retorted, forcing a hand against the blonde's face. "It was the two of us. We called your Papa, too."

She smiled, the ends of her lips trembling. "It's sweet of you," she managed to get out, her voice almost breaking. "I'm really grateful. Thanks."

Vietnam slammed a hand to her back, causing her sister to cough and cuss under her breath. "You're not supposed to cry, you know," she told Maria. "So just enjoy things the way they are."

The Philippines punched her sister lightly on the arm, and they exchanged grins.

When Maria's two sisters were busy talking with Hungary, Belgium managed to speak with her in a more serious tone.

"Did my brother do something to you?" The blonde glimpsed at her behind her glass.

"Hmm?" She took a sip from hers.

"You looked like you were about to cry earlier." She pulled a face. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened, Bel," she said as she popped a tasty-looking pastry into her mouth.

"Uh-huh," she said, unconvinced. "Are you sure? Because, don't look, but he's looking at you. Over at Germany and the others. Probably talking about football or beer or something." She shrugged. "So, you like him?"

"Who?"

"The tomato," she deadpanned. "Duh, my brother, of course! Who else are we talking about?"

"Oh," she merely blurted out.

A long pause.

"Well?" Belgium persisted.

"Huh? What?"

The blonde sighed. "You know, you could be so frustrating when you want to be."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Maria simpered. Vietnam left Hungary and Taiwan and sat beside her sister.

"So, what're you talking about?" The continental region asked.

"Nothing, _ate_," the Philippines answered. "Hey," she took a glimpse of Taiwan and Hungary. "Is it okay to leave those two alone?"

"I was asking if she liked my brother," the blonde caught, ignoring the Philippines. The archipelago gave her a frustrated look. "Do you know if she likes him?"

"She does," Vietnam replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"_Ate_!" Maria exclaimed.

"What? You do, don't you?" Linh Mai said, shrugging before drinking from her glass she had just refilled. "You'll be lying if you said no."

"Oooh... Really? But what about Mexico?"

"She isn't in any commitment with him. Let's just say she's a bit confused, okay?"

"But she likes my brother, doesn't she?"

"Well, yeah. She does. She told me she couldn't get the thought out of her head since she'd been a colony. Though, she _did_ like-"

"_Ate_, couldn't you just shut up?" Maria snapped, slamming her glass onto the table and rubbing her flushed face. "Please, let's not talk about that _now_."

Linh Mai paused for a moment, then went back to Belgium. "As I was saying, she still likes your brother."

"Ugh..." She moaned, covering her face with her hands. "This is embarrassing..."

"No, it's not, Clara," Belgium consoled her, putting a hand on the Asian nation's shoulder. "So, tell me more," she bounced back to Vietnam.

"It's nothing serious, okay?" She finally said. "I've accepted that already. It's just a fleeting feeling. It'll go away sooner or later and I'll fall in love with Mexico, like everyone expects me to, okay? Just like how _ate_ fell in love with Thailand. That's settled, so let's just drop it," she whined.

"If it were _just_ a fleeting feeling, how come it's still here after the centuries?" Linh Mai pointed out. After seeing her sister looking like she were about to spill tears, she recoiled, "come here, you," and pulled her into an embrace. "Just shut up and accept the fact that you still like him."

"You know, sometimes, I envy you. I want a sister, too," the blonde said as she watched them. "But then again, Hungary's here. She's like a sister to me. And you guys... You're here a little often, too."

The evening breeze swept over the celebration. Maria slightly shivered. "Gah, it's cold. Is it always this cold here?" She muttered in disbelief, rubbing her arms.

"Sorry. The weather's a bit chilly right now," the blonde said.

"Want me to get you your jacket?" Vietnam offered.

The archipelago shook her head. "Thanks, _ate_, but it's fine. I just need to go to the bathroom," she said. "I need to pee."

_Ho~hum_

"Oh, what a relief," Maria mumbled to herself as she sat on the toilet. "Finally." She pulled up her pants and headed to the sink. Relieved at the warm water, she washed her hands, then her face. She looked in the mirror and scowled. She pointed at her reflection and said, "you. Don't be so fucked up." She let out a heavy breath and left.

She walked into the kitchen and found Hans sitting at the table, drinking alone. The Dutch lifted his gaze to her, his face nonchalant as ever. He raised a hand and beckoned her to sit beside him. The brunette nation sighed helplessly and obliged. She sat across him while the taller nation pushed his drink toward her. She took the dainty, sophisticated glass and gulped everything to the last drop, ending with a gasp and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Silence sat with them. The only things they could hear were the music and a lot of yelling outside. The archipelago nation shifted stiffly in her seat. The Dutch reached for the bottle of alcohol and filled the glass to the rim. She let out a low, uneasy whine before snatching away the glass again and downing everything with a gasp.

"-_and caaaan you feeeeel the looove toniiiiiight_?"

The seated brunette winced at the song; it was horribly out of tune. She recognized it was a certain Dane's voice. She heard America and Australia echo the lyrics while an angry Romano yelled in disdain. She bit her lip.

Hans noticed.

"Want to take this to the living room?" He offered.

With a pained face, she stood up, nodding. "Please."

He took their paraphernalia, headed away from the back door and into the living room. Hans placed the glass and the bottle on the low table that stood in front of the short sofa, where they sat on either end. The Dutch propped himself comfortably against the corner with his arm outstretched on the top of the back of the couch. The Philippines set herself against the opposite side with her arms crossed. She was a little less stiff and more at ease. Hans poured himself some wine and downed everything easily before refilling the glass up to the rim.

Silence joined them again.

"Hey," she began, "how come you're so tall when I have a comparatively larger landmass than you?" Maria blurted out. She took the glass and drank half its contents.

The Dutch glanced at her tan figure, slightly surprised that she actually spoke. "Because I'm a representation of my people, how my citizens look. Shouldn't you know that?" He had the usual nonchalant look on his face and the usual nonchalant tone in his voice.

She gawked at him for a few moments as if he had done some sort of indignity to her. "Derp. How stupid was I to _not_ notice that? Of course it went that way. The reason why Russia's huge is because Russians are _supposed_ to be huge, right?"

He hid a grin behind his scarf. She was being a kid again. "I suppose." He drank the remaining contents of the glass and refilled it to the rim. The bottle had only enough for another half glass.

"But then again, we have stuff on ourselves that have to do with our geography, right?" She persisted. "Like America's cowlick is Nantucket, and Austria's cowlick is Mariazell. And France's beard is Gorges du tarn, and my cowlick is supposed to be Palawan..." She looked really puzzled. "Oh well..."

Another breeze swept by and came in through the window. Maria rubbed her arms to keep herself warm. "Jeez, isn't the inside of the house supposed to be warm?" She grumbled to herself. She wasn't used to the cold weather. It was always either rainy or sunny back home.

Hans unwound his scarf from his neck, stood up, wound his scarf around the archipelago and shut the windows before returning to the couch, discreetly sitting a little bit closer to her. Maria was relieved the scarf was thick and long that it reached up to her cheeks-at least it concealed her flushed face. Plus, it was pleasantly warm.

"You know," the Dutch began. She set her eyes on him. "I was really desperate to take Manila that time. To me, you were fragile, and I was personally bent on having you remain as my colony, however..." She looked on, eager to hear his voice. "Things got complicated."

"_Bitin_," she uttered, moving her gaze to the full glass of wine. "You know..." His attention was completely focused on her, though it was far from obvious. "I... Ever since you left and returned me to Papa, I..." She sucked in a breath, "I've missed you," she mumbled almost inaudibly.

The Netherlands cocked his head, bemused. "What did you say? I didn't hear you," he said, resting his head on his fist that was on the top of the couch's back.

"I said," with her face away from him, she took a deep breath, "I've missed you. I was your colony for a really short time, but since you left, I missed you, okay? Even when Papa had gone and England and America and _kuya_ Japan took over, there was something about you that... That... I don't _know_," she finished, completely irritated with herself.

Two pairs of prying eyes were unnoticed. Brown and green orbs exchanged mischievous glances.

Hans fixed his gaze on her, unwilling to believe what he had just heard. It was all too good to be true for him.

"_And ahhhiaaah-aah-I I'm never gonna stop falling in love with you..._" Hungary's voice hit the precise notes perfectly. She was serenading Roderich.

"You've missed me?" The Dutch clarified. The archipelago's head tilted up and down. "After _all_ this time?" Another nod.

She could feel her face burning; she was sure she would melt any second, and the Philippines would sink into the Pacific Ocean. She silently prayed to God that it wouldn't happen. "I... I don't know, but, this-this t_hing_, I don't know what it is-it'd probably go away soon enough, well, it _should_, a-and it'll be like how things are supposed to be, and-"

Things happened fast. The next thing she knew, she was in the Dutch's arms, savoring the welcoming warmth.

"I think it's better if it would never go away," he said. "Whatever it is, it should stay."

He released her and held her by the shoulders. After gazing into her dark, coffee eyes, he pulled his scarf down past her chin and indulged with setting his lips on hers, a kiss which gradually turned deep and passionate-one that harbored emotions from the past centuries. He wound his arm around her waist and kept her as close as he could possibly keep her.

"Oh my god, Linh, they kissed! They kissed!" Belgium quietly told her fellow eavesdropper, securing a hand on her mouth and restraining the urge to scream.

"I know, Bel. I'm right beside you, I can see them, too," the Asian deadpanned.

"I never noticed they looked adorable together..." She continued staring at the two. "Damn, I guess Hans really _did_ still have feelings for her. Ever since she was a colony he always kept an eye on her, and oh!" She squealed with her hand over her mouth. "Look! Look! They're-Oh my god!"

"Shut it, Bel! They'll find us out!"

"Sorry, Viet!"

She broke away and saw his flushed face.

"Hans... Isn't this wrong?"

"How?"

"I mean," she ran her hand through her hair, "you kissed me."

"Was I not supposed to?"

Her face grew redder. "It's not that, it's just that things might get out of hand, and, you know..." She shrugged and looked away.

A small grin found its way to his face. "Don't worry. I don't plan on doing anything like that to you." She lifted her eyes to him. "Well, not _tonight_, at least." She flushed deeper, then redirected her eyes elsewhere. "You should go back. Everyone will notice you're gone."

Maria nodded. "You're right." She stood up, but as she turned to leave, Hans grabbed her hand.

"After this one." And he pulled her close for another kiss.

"Ooh, baby! Happy birthday, Clara!" Belgium squeaked, slapping Vietnam on the arm.

"Happy birthday, sis," Linh Mai said, crossing her arms and smiling. 

**A/N: **Because I was desperate. Meh.

I am working on _Panda_. I promise. I really am.


End file.
